Thread: Brenny - 4 Weeks

Hey Guys,

I finally reached my goal of 78kg almost two weeks ago. I started at 88kg so thats a loss of 10 of these!!!

The last time I was this light was nearly 5 years ago and that time I had just dieted hard and had very little muscle. I remember my friend saying that I had lost my shoulders. This time was different, I have kept plenty of muscle and my shoulders look quite broad and big.

so....I got sick since then, I still havent shaken it fully, I went for my first run this morning and could only do 10 mins at a time whilest my chest was stinging and my calfs burning. My weight is back up 81kg which i feel pretty shitty about. The two kg between 78-80 I dont mind so much cos they come and go very quick but the other kg is pure fat.

I am going to Ireland on the 12th. I left Ireland a year ago 3 weeks ago, I didnt look so good leaving, I was about 85kg and not in shape at all. I would love to go home for my holiday in the best shape of my life. My mum would be delighted with that :) I remember she bought me a tub of creatine when I was younger cos I was too small for a rugby team. This was when creatine was "hush hush" especially for 16yr olds.

So this thread is only going to be open for a month and I'm going to document my progress. But I need help and comments please before I begin (well i begun this moring..)

I would like to reduce the amount of time I spend in the weights rooms and increase my cardio alot.

Problems

Too long in the Gym. Cardio in the the morn will help this.
Getting bored with my routine.
Arms too big for my body and not defined. Can never see the vein in the bicep.You know the one
Chest barrelly but not defined.
Shoulders are very important to me.
I've gotten to the stage where all the weights I lift are so heavy the thought of going to the gym has become harder and harder.

Training

Previously my routine was 4/5 days of 1hrs of weights followed by cardio inwhich I tried to get 3.30hrs in a week.
I'm going to up my Cardio to 5 hrs a week. Through runs in the morning, RPM and cycle classes and cardio after weights.
I could use help with my weights. I was thinking, 1 shoulder day and two days of full body, Bruce Lee style?

Nutrition

1500cal per day
Run
Protein shake 30g
30g almonds
200g chicken 1 cup of broc and 1 cup of spinach 100g of chopped tomatos
200g rump steak 1 cup of broc and 1 cup of spinach 100g of chopped tomatoes
Weights/Rpm - Bcaa & Eaas during
Protein Shake 30g
Tablespoon of peanut butter
Can of tuna
Protein Shake (casein)

The above is 1506cal
49.4g fat
57.2g of carbs
201.8g protein

Goal for 12th December

Priority 1 - 77kg Abs and Keep big shoulders
Priority 2 - More shaped chest/back/arms

Any help guys is great.

~B

Originally Posted by Brenny

I've gotten to the stage where all the weights I lift are so heavy the thought of going to the gym has become harder and harder.

Nutrition

1500cal per day

~B

Looks like way under your BMR cals for 78kgs, I would suggest more like 3000, no wonder you have no energy, how long have you been restricting this much?

MD

Originally Posted by mikasadan

Looks like way under your BMR cals for 78kgs, I would suggest more like 3000, no wonder you have no energy, how long have you been restricting this much?

MD

I have plently of energy MD. Been at 1500 for 3 weeks before I reached 78kg.

Nice job so far Brenny... Although yes it does seem to be a little on the low side for cals, if you keep them low be sure to include a "spike" day.

You will lean up on that diet and if you have enough energy that is great..

But on 1500 cals, I wouldnt be aiming to do so much heavy cardio.... or your going to " lose those shoulders" and def lose your arms..

Why dont you take more of a cutting approach... try to keep the big arms. But lean them out and get that vein showing.... abs will follow..

I would stick to your diet and weights training but either do 40-45 min good paced walk in the morning (on empty stomach) - 5 to 6 days a week, add a couple evenings too if you like.

Or HIIT - 3 - 4 days a week - around 25 mins.

I wouldnt do any full paced continuous running at all, or you will just lose weight ( muscle and fat)

Depends what your goals are though...

This has worked well for me and is just my suggestion, abs and veins came through after about 4 to 5 weeks.

Originally Posted by ljk23

You will lean up on that diet and if you have enough energy that is great..

But on 1500 cals, I wouldnt be aiming to do so much heavy cardio.... or your going to " lose those shoulders" and def lose your arms..

Why dont you take more of a cutting approach... try to keep the big arms. But lean them out and get that vein showing.... abs will follow..

I would stick to your diet and weights training but either do 40-45 min good paced walk in the morning (on empty stomach) - 5 to 6 days a week, add a couple evenings too if you like.

Or HIIT - 3 - 4 days a week - around 25 mins.

I wouldnt do any full paced continuous running at all, or you will just lose weight ( muscle and fat)

Depends what your goals are though...

This has worked well for me and is just my suggestion, abs and veins came through after about 4 to 5 weeks.

I only have 4 weeks Ljk23 left though. If I had more time I would do It differently. I am already quite lean and I know this is quite extreme and I will invariably loose muscle but if thats the consequence so be it.

Goal is loads of abs and keep the shoulders. I'll build my chest and back up when I come back.

AP - I used to have a spike/carb day. It will only be limited to a meal for the next four weeks.

~B

Well then my advice would be HIIT in the mornings until you go away... with some good recovery supps...

Originally Posted by ljk23

Well then my advice would be HIIT in the mornings until you go away... with some good recovery supps...

Sounds good.

I run in a park so I guess 30sec of sprinting & 1 min walk or 1 & 1 ?

Takes me 35mins door to door with a slow jog.

Weights??

you know what worked well for me..

walk 1 to 2 mins.... then good paced jog for 2 mins.. then sprint hard for 1 min ( or as long as you can)

Then back onto the walk... you will need this as your short of breath... then do it all again..

Good work Benny. You know I've been following along with you!

I am a little alarmed by the low cals. I am currently on 1560 calories on my regular carb days. I know it's your body; your choice and the results have worked. But mate this diet is not sustainable long term and you could suffer from some awful rebounds.

I am only giving this advice from personal experience of my own and other people who have dieted too hard like this. I'm really sorry if I offend you in some way but I definitely don't mean to. I congrtaulate you for your discipline and getting the results you were after.

But if this is the road you wanna continue going down for a while then my suggestion is when you go back to Ireland maintain the cardio you are doing now and definitely ease back into carbs slowly. I know your energy levels haven't suffered (which I guess would be because you've replaced carbs with fats as your energy source..? Are you kinda doing keto/UD2?) but I strongly suggest you keep almost as strict in Ireland as you have been here.

I'm sure you know what you are doing but just thought I would offer my experience.

Good luck though!

Originally Posted by Bianca_fit

Good work Benny. You know I've been following along with you!

I am a little alarmed by the low cals. I am currently on 1560 calories on my regular carb days. I know it's your body; your choice and the results have worked. But mate this diet is not sustainable long term and you could suffer from some awful rebounds.

I am only giving this advice from personal experience of my own and other people who have dieted too hard like this. I'm really sorry if I offend you in some way but I definitely don't mean to. I congrtaulate you for your discipline and getting the results you were after.

But if this is the road you wanna continue going down for a while then my suggestion is when you go back to Ireland maintain the cardio you are doing now and definitely ease back into carbs slowly. I know your energy levels haven't suffered (which I guess would be because you've replaced carbs with fats as your energy source..? Are you kinda doing keto/UD2?) but I strongly suggest you keep almost as strict in Ireland as you have been here.

I'm sure you know what you are doing but just thought I would offer my experience.

Good luck though!

BF, I think your right with what your saying. I'm resigned to putting some weight back on Ireland as I def wont be able to keep up weights but I will be able to do the odd run, maybe 2/3 a week for three weeks. My general eating habits are very good, lots of fruit/veg and lean meat are always my choices but when I do fall off the rails I'm unstoppable.

Yes, I'm doing a ketoesque diet. I do eat alot of veggies which will push me through the 40g of carbs a day but not by too much. I've added an apple to my breakfast also (I know....I'm insane lol!!)

This sickness is still with me, I played too rounds of golf over the weekend and ate my diet spot on but really didnt feel upto lifting weights coughing and sniffling. Today I'll give chest a whirl and an RPM class.

Weight is back down to 79.5kg

~B

Half way through week 2. 23 Days to go until my deadline.

I seem to be on target. My weight is 78.5kg as of this morning. If I can continue to loose 0.5 Kg/week I'll hit my new goal of 77kg.

My diet has changed a little since I posted last. I decided to introduce some fruit.

So breakfast is now 2 scoops of no flavour protein, handful of berries and strawberrys and an apple blended into a very nice smoothy to have on the way into work after my run.

Good Points
My abs are getting more and more visible an my delts seem tobe getting more visible also.
My energy levels are great and I feel very healthy.
My strength is still not declining at all. Quite the opposite actually.

Bad Points
My sides and lower back still need a worring amount of fat loss as do my legs and 23 days seems like a very short time.

I will post pics in the next few days as they are the only real indication of progress.

~B

Hi Brenny,

Try 100 burpees as your morning HIIT, that will shred the fat!!

MD

Originally Posted by mikasadan

Hi Brenny,

Try 100 burpees as your morning HIIT, that will shred the fat!!

MD

I detest Burpees..ever since I was a kid at training...but its for a reason, they are hard...i'll give it a shot at the end of my run....maybe not 100 though lol.

I did my usual shoulder day today, introduced creatine back into my diet after about a month off and its working wonders. Instead of cardio afterward I did 150 one arm at a time shoulder presses with 10kg. Took me 15 mins!! tough work out!!

~B

Originally Posted by mikasadan

Hi Brenny,

Try 100 burpees as your morning HIIT, that will shred the fat!!

MD

+1

I've always had a bit of stubborn fat around my lower back and stomach that hides my abs and that V shape. I train weights 3 days a week and the last couple of weeks have been doing burpees 3 days a week on the non weight days(sunday rest day) and the fat is dropping off! I'm sold on them!